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Pesticide Use (pesticide + use)
Selected AbstractsValuing the Multiple Impacts of Pesticide Use in the UK: A Contingent Ranking ApproachJOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 1 2000Vivien Foster The contingent ranking method was used to estimate the value of the human health and biodiversity impacts associated with pesticide applications, using a "green" consumer product as a payment vehicle. Specification testing showed that the standard conditional logit model provides a representation of these data preferable to the rank-ordered logit variant. The resulting estimates - which perform well in terms of standard validity tests - show that, on average, consumers are only willing to tolerate between six and eight cases of human illness to save an entire species of farmland birds. [source] Estimating Watershed Level Nonagricultural Pesticide Use From Golf Courses Using Geospatial Methods,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 6 2008Garey A. Fox Abstract:, Limited information exists on pesticide use for nonagricultural purposes, making it difficult to estimate pesticide loadings from nonagricultural sources to surface water and to conduct environmental risk assessments. A method was developed to estimate the amount of pesticide use on recreational turf grasses, specifically golf course turf grasses, for watersheds located throughout the conterminous United States (U.S.). The approach estimates pesticide use: (1) based on the area of recreational turf grasses (used as a surrogate for turf associated with golf courses) within the watershed, which was derived from maps of land cover, and (2) from data on the location and average treatable area of golf courses. The area of golf course turf grasses determined from these two methods was used to calculate the percentage of each watershed planted in golf course turf grass (percent crop area, or PCA). Turf-grass PCAs derived from the two methods were used with recommended application rates provided on pesticide labels to estimate total pesticide use on recreational turf within 1,606 watersheds associated with surface-water sources of drinking water. These pesticide use estimates made from label rates and PCAs were compared to use estimates from industry sales data on the amount of each pesticide sold for use within the watershed. The PCAs derived from the land-cover data had an average value of 0.4% of a watershed with minimum of 0.01% and a maximum of 9.8%, whereas the PCA values that are based on the number of golf courses in a watershed had an average of 0.3% of a watershed with a minimum of <0.01% and a maximum of 14.2%. Both the land-cover method and the number of golf courses method produced similar PCA distributions, suggesting that either technique may be used to provide a PCA estimate for recreational turf. The average and maximum PCAs generally correlated to watershed size, with the highest PCAs estimated for small watersheds. Using watershed specific PCAs, combined with label rates, resulted in greater than two orders of magnitude over-estimation of the pesticide use compared to estimates from sales data. [source] Pesticide use and colorectal cancer risk in the agricultural health studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2007Won Jin Lee Abstract We investigated the relationship between agricultural pesticides and colorectal cancer incidence in the Agricultural Health Study. A total of 56,813 pesticide applicators with no prior history of colorectal cancer were included in this analysis. Detailed pesticide exposure and other information were obtained from self-administered questionnaires completed at the time of enrollment (1993,1997). Cancer incidence was determined through population-based cancer registries from enrollment through December 31, 2002. A total of 305 incident colorectal cancers (212 colon, 93 rectum) were diagnosed during the study period, 1993,2002. Although most of the 50 pesticides studied were not associated with colorectal cancer risk, chlorpyrifos use showed significant exposure response trend (p for trend = 0.008) for rectal cancer, rising to a 2.7-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.2,6.4) increased risk in the highest exposure category. Aldicarb was associated with a significantly increased risk of colon cancer (p for trend = 0.001), based on a small number of exposed cases, with the highest exposure category resulting in a 4.1-fold increased risk (95% confidence interval: 1.3,12.8). In contrast, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid showed a significant inverse association with colon cancer but the association was not monotonic. Our findings should be interpreted cautiously since the literature suggesting that pesticides are related to colorectal cancer is limited. Nonetheless the possibility of an association between exposure to certain pesticides and incidence of colorectal cancer among pesticide applicators deserves further evaluation. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Pesticide use in ornamental production: what are the benefits?PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 4 2009James A Bethke Abstract Pest control in ornamental production is challenging owing to the diversity of crops grown, the desired aesthetic perfection, the potential economic loss due to failure and the multitude of arthropod pests encountered. Agricultural crops of less value per acre, such as row crops, can tolerate a certain level of damage from arthropod pests without compromising yields. Damage thresholds for ornamentals, however, are essentially zero. Pesticides are a viable method of protection for such a crop in lieu of alternatives. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of pesticides to the ornamental industry. Pesticides provide many benefits to ornamental producers, including: (1) consistent availability; (2) rapid kill; (3) reliable and consistent control; (4) increased crop production and quality; (5) they may be used to prevent movement of invasive pests; (6) they are less expensive (in general) than alternatives; (7) they may reduce plant pathogenic transmission; (8) they may be used in conjunction with natural enemies. Pesticide use will continue to be a significant strategy for dealing with arthropod pests so that ornamental producers can stay competitive in both national and international markets. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Changes in abundance of Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris in EnglandECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2001Michael E. Archer Summary 1. Thirteen time series, varying from 17 to 27 years, of the abundance of Vespula germanica and V. vulgaris from lowland England are examined. The time series depend on either spring queens and workers taken in Malaise or suction traps, or collected colonies. 2. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the abundance of V. germanica declined abruptly but that of V. vulgaris did not. 3. During the early 1980s, the 2-year cycle of annual abundance of V. vulgaris changed to a nearly perfectly damped pattern of annual abundances. 4. The most likely factor causing these population changes was the increased use of pesticides acting directly by killing the wasps and indirectly by reducing their food resources. 5. The difference in response of the two species to increased pesticide use may be related to a difference in foraging ability. [source] Aquatic macroinvertebrates in the altes land, an intensely used orchard region in Germany: Correlation between community structure and potential for pesticide exposureENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2006Christoph Schäfers Abstract To assess the impact of pesticides on aquatic organisms under realistic worst-case conditions, a macroinvertebrate community of small ditches was sampled at 40 sites of the orchard region Altes Land near Hamburg, Germany. To differentiate between pesticide impact and other variables, the ditches selected for sampling were located at different distances along grassland, unused apple orchards, and orchards managed with integrated and/or organic crop protection methods. Samples of macroinvertebrates were taken on five dates over two years. In addition to biological data, water chemistry and structural parameters were measured. For each sampling site, a potential for exposure was calculated on the basis of the distance of the ditch to the nearest row of trees and the depth and width of the ditch. The neighborhood to either grassland or orchards turned out to have a larger impact on the macroinvertebrate community than the potential for exposure. Therefore, grassland sites were omitted from further evaluation. Remaining sites were grouped into low exposure (sites at unused orchards), medium exposure (distance of 3,5 m [track] between trees and ditch), and high exposure (trees close to the ditch, mean distance , 1.5 m). Principal response curves showed differences in community structure between the three exposure groups over time. Whereas for sites from the high exposure group significant differences from low exposure was observed in all seasons, significant differences between low and medium were observed only occasionally. Effects were less pronounced in samples taken at springtime before the starting pesticide applications, suggesting some community recovery. Species richness was negatively correlated to exposure potential. Isopoda, Eulamellibranchiata, and insects, especially Ephemeroptera, showed a high negative correlation with the potential for pesticide exposure, suggesting that these taxa are sensitive to the pesticide use in the orchards. [source] Risk assessment of pesticides for soils of the central amazon, Brazil: Comparing outcomes with temperate and tropical dataINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008Jörg Römbke Abstract The risk of 11 pesticides to the soil environment was assessed in a 3-tiered approach at 4 sites located in Central Amazon, near Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas State in Brazil. Toxicity-exposure ratios (TERs), as routinely used for the registration of pesticides in the European Union, were calculated. First, the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) values in soil on the basis of real application rates and soil properties but temperate DT50 (degradation time of 50%) values were compared with temperate effect values (earthworm LC50s; median lethal concentrations), both gained from literature. Second, the risk assessment was refined by the use of DT50 values from tropical soils (measured for 7 compounds and estimated for 4) but still with temperate effect values because only a few results from tests performed under tropical conditions are available. Third, the outcome of this exercise was evaluated in a plausibility check with the use of the few results of effect tests, which were performed under tropical conditions. However, the lack of such data allowed this check only for 6 of 11 pesticides. The results are discussed in light of pesticide use in the Amazon in general, as well as compared with the registration status of these pesticides in other countries. Finally, suggestions are given for which kinds of studies are needed to improve the environmental risk assessment of pesticides in tropical regions. [source] Valuation of biodiversity effects from reduced pesticide useINTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2006Jesper S. Schou Abstract This study deals with the effects on biodiversity of pesticide-free buffer zones along field margins. Using choice modeling, the majority of respondents to a survey on pesticide use in the environment are willing to accept an increase in the price of bread if the survival of partridge chicks and the number of wild plants increase. The study identifies the need for further empirical work with respect to methodological validation, price estimation, and the use of survey results in policy analysis. In particular, the environmental effects of pesticide use are complex and, therefore, present difficult challenges when presenting information to lay people. Forty-one percent of respondents changed their responses regarding willingness to pay more for bread when references to pesticide use were introduced in the questionnaire. This indicates that scenarios depicting changes in pesticide use can be difficult to present to lay people in an economically rational and well-defined context. Thus, in the study of valuation related to changes in pesticide use, much attention should be devoted to the design and definition of the context. Furthermore, the effects of providing different background information, e.g., with or without the mention of pesticides, should be tested. [source] Pests, pesticide use and alternative options in European maize production: current status and future prospectsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 5 2010M. Meissle Abstract Political efforts are made in the European Union (EU) to reduce pesticide use and to increase the implementation of integrated pest management (IPM). Within the EU project ENDURE, research priorities on pesticide reduction are defined. Using maize, one of the most important crops in Europe, as a case study, we identified the most serious weeds, arthropod pests, and fungal diseases as well as classes and amounts of pesticides applied. Data for 11 European maize growing regions were collected from databases, publications and expert estimates. Silage maize dominates in northern Europe and grain production in central and southern Europe. Crop rotations range from continuous growing of maize over several years to well-planned rotation systems. Weeds, arthropod pests and fungal diseases cause economic losses in most regions, even though differences exist between northern countries and central and southern Europe. Several weed and arthropod species cause increasing problems, illustrating that the goal of reducing chemical pesticide applications is challenging. Pesticides could potentially be reduced by the choice of varieties including genetically modified hybrids, cultural control including crop rotation, biological control, optimized application techniques for chemicals, and the development of more specific treatments. However, restrictions in the availability of alternative pest control measures, farm organization, and the training and knowledge of farmers need to be overcome before the adoption of environmentally friendly pest control strategies can reduce chemical pesticides in an economically competitive way. The complex of several problems that need to be tackled simultaneously and the link between different control measures demonstrates the need for IPM approaches, where pest control is seen in the context of the cropping system and on a regional scale. Multicriteria assessments and decision support systems combined with pest monitoring programs may help to develop region-specific and sustainable strategies that are harmonized within a EU framework. [source] Occurrence of the diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella L.) and its parasitoids in Ethiopia: influence of geographical region and agronomic traitsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6-7 2006G. Ayalew Abstract:, Surveys were carried out in 2001 in brassica-producing areas of Ethiopia to determine the geographic distribution and severity of diamondback moth (DBM) and occurrence of indigenous parasitoids. Principal component analysis was used to analyse the importance of nine parameters , DBM density, parasitism by different parasitoid species (Oomyzus sokolowskii, Diadegma spp., Apanteles sp. and overall parasitism), cropping systems, pesticide use, frequency of pesticide application and altitude. A total of 194 brassica fields in 13 different areas were visited. Principal component analysis showed that the first two of the nine principal components (largely DBM density and pesticide use) accounted for 70% of the variation in the data set. Higher DBM numbers were associated with pesticide usage and higher overall parasitism with intercropping. Eight parasitoid species were recorded of which three species were important both in distribution and level of parasitism. These include Oomyzus sokolowskii (Hym., Eulophidae), Diadegma spp. (Hym., Ichneumonidae) and Apanteles sp. (Hym., Braconidae). Overall parasitism ranged from 3.6% to 79.5% with big differences between areas. Apanteles sp. and Diadegma spp. were largely confined to the south-western part of Ethiopia where insecticide use is minimal. Oomyzus sokolowskii is mainly distributed in areas of the Rift Valley and northern Ethiopia with relatively heavy insecticide use. This study indicated a huge impact of repeated insecticide treatment and agronomic practices on DBM severity and its parasitoids. [source] Trichomes of Lycopersicon species and their hybrids: effects on pests and natural enemiesAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Aaron T. Simmons Abstract 1,The cultivated tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, is an economically important worldwide crop. Current pest management techniques rely heavily on pesticides but trichome-based host-plant resistance may reduce pesticide use. 2,A review of the literature is provided on trichomes of wild Lycopersicon species and the effects of trichome-based host-plant resistance on arthropods. Solvents have been used to remove glandular trichome exudates and the resulting dimminution of their effects quantified. Correlational approaches to assess the relationship between the different trichome types and effects on pests have also been used. 3,Most studies have focused on Lepidoptera and Hemiptera, although some work has included Coleoptera, Diptera and Acarina, and both antibiotic and antixenotic effects have been demonstrated. 4,Natural enemies are a cornerstone of international pest management and this review discusses how the compatibility of this approach with trichome-based host-plant resistance is uncertain because of the reported negative effects of trichomes on one dipteran, one hemipteran and several Hymenoptera. 5,For trichome-based host-plant resistance to be utilized as a pest management tool, trichomes of wild species need to be introgressed into the cultivated tomato. Hybrids between the cultivated tomato and the wild species Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum, Lycopersicon pennellii and Lycopersicon cheesmanii f. minor have been produced and useful levels of resistance to Acarina, Diptera and Hemiptera pests have been exhibited, although these effects may be tempered by effects on natural enemies. 6,This review proposes that studies on genetic links between fruit quality and resistance, field studies to determine the compatibility of natural enemies and trichome-based host-plant resistance, and a strong focus on L. cheesmanii f. minor, are all priorities for further research that will help realize the potential of this natural defence mechanism in pest management. [source] Estimating Watershed Level Nonagricultural Pesticide Use From Golf Courses Using Geospatial Methods,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 6 2008Garey A. Fox Abstract:, Limited information exists on pesticide use for nonagricultural purposes, making it difficult to estimate pesticide loadings from nonagricultural sources to surface water and to conduct environmental risk assessments. A method was developed to estimate the amount of pesticide use on recreational turf grasses, specifically golf course turf grasses, for watersheds located throughout the conterminous United States (U.S.). The approach estimates pesticide use: (1) based on the area of recreational turf grasses (used as a surrogate for turf associated with golf courses) within the watershed, which was derived from maps of land cover, and (2) from data on the location and average treatable area of golf courses. The area of golf course turf grasses determined from these two methods was used to calculate the percentage of each watershed planted in golf course turf grass (percent crop area, or PCA). Turf-grass PCAs derived from the two methods were used with recommended application rates provided on pesticide labels to estimate total pesticide use on recreational turf within 1,606 watersheds associated with surface-water sources of drinking water. These pesticide use estimates made from label rates and PCAs were compared to use estimates from industry sales data on the amount of each pesticide sold for use within the watershed. The PCAs derived from the land-cover data had an average value of 0.4% of a watershed with minimum of 0.01% and a maximum of 9.8%, whereas the PCA values that are based on the number of golf courses in a watershed had an average of 0.3% of a watershed with a minimum of <0.01% and a maximum of 14.2%. Both the land-cover method and the number of golf courses method produced similar PCA distributions, suggesting that either technique may be used to provide a PCA estimate for recreational turf. The average and maximum PCAs generally correlated to watershed size, with the highest PCAs estimated for small watersheds. Using watershed specific PCAs, combined with label rates, resulted in greater than two orders of magnitude over-estimation of the pesticide use compared to estimates from sales data. [source] Altered pesticide use on transgenic crops and the associated general impact from an environmental perspectivePEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 11 2007Gijs A Kleter Abstract The large-scale commercial cultivation of transgenic crops has undergone a steady increase since their introduction 10 years ago. Most of these crops bear introduced traits that are of agronomic importance, such as herbicide or insect resistance. These traits are likely to impact upon the use of pesticides on these crops, as well as the pesticide market as a whole. Organizations like USDA-ERS and NCFAP monitor the changes in crop pest management associated with the adoption of transgenic crops. As part of an IUPAC project on this topic, recent data are reviewed regarding the alterations in pesticide use that have been observed in practice. Most results indicate a decrease in the amounts of active ingredients applied to transgenic crops compared with conventional crops. In addition, a generic environmental indicator,the environmental impact quotient (EIQ),has been applied by these authors and others to estimate the environmental consequences of the altered pesticide use on transgenic crops. The results show that the predicted environmental impact decreases in transgenic crops. With the advent of new types of agronomic trait and crops that have been genetically modified, it is useful to take also their potential environmental impacts into account. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Ecological network analysis: an application to the evaluation of effects of pesticide use in an agricultural environmentPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 10 2007Peter Andras Abstract Ecological network analysis is used to evaluate the impact of pesticide use on ecological systems in the context of agricultural farmland environments. The aim is to provide support for the design of effective and minimally damaging pest control strategies. The ecological network analysis can identify species that are important to the integrity of the ecological network. The methodology can be used to monitor the impact of shifts in terms of types of pesticide used on the ecological system. The authors' intention is to use this methodology to provide supporting evidence for the UK Voluntary Initiative programme aimed at convincing farmers voluntarily to make improved choices in the use of a wide range of pesticides. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Rodenticide grain bait ingredient acceptance by Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus), California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae)PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 7 2006Terrell P Salmon Abstract Vertebrate pest control in California is often accomplished through the use of rodenticide grain baits. These grain baits are composed of steam-rolled oats (SRO), a toxicant, an indicator dye and an oil combination. A series of tests were performed to determine the effects of various dye and oil formulations on acceptance of grain bait by Norway rats [Rattus norvegicus (Berk)], California ground squirrels [Spermophilus beecheyi (Richardson)] and pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae Eyd & Gerv). Seven different dyes, four oil formulations and clean (untreated) oats were tested for acceptance. The addition of the selected oils and dyes to grain resulted in no significant differences in consumption. This indicates that there is a wide variety of dyes that could be used in the formulation of rodenticides. These alternatives could aid in proper pesticide use, the deterrence of bait consumption by birds and possibly in ingredient adhesion to the finished bait. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Integrated modeling environment for statewide assessment of groundwater vulnerability from pesticide use in agriculture,PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 8 2004Audra Eason Abstract Atrazine, a herbicide widely used for corn production in the Midwest, has been detected in groundwater of several states, and has been identified as a possible human carcinogen. With the widespread use of pesticides in crop production, and the frequent detection of these chemicals in groundwater, large-scale risk assessments would help water resource managers to identify areas that are more susceptible to contamination and implement practices to ameliorate the problem. This paper presents an integrated, visual and interactive system for predicting potential environmental risks associated with pesticide contamination at spatial scales ranging from fields to landscapes and regions. The interactive system extends the predictive ability of the Pesticide Root Zone Model Release 2.0 (PRZM-2) to a landscape and statewide scale through integration with a geographic information system (GIS), graphical user interface and environmental databases. Predictions of statewide (Iowa) vulnerability of groundwater from atrazine leaching below the unsaturated zone were made to demonstrate the utility of the system, and the results were used in risk assessment. In the example application, atrazine fate and transport were evaluated using long-term climatic data (1980,1989) in combination with several environmental databases (eg STATSGO soils database) and exposure risks were expressed in terms of the probability of the predicted pesticide concentrations exceeding the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for drinking water. The results indicate that the predicted pesticide concentrations were significantly lower than the EPA-established MCL. In addition to providing an interactive environment for landscape-level assessment of potential risks from pesticide leaching, the system significantly reduces the time and resources needed to organize and manipulate data for use with PRZM-2, and provides an analytical framework for evaluating groundwater-leaching impacts of pesticide management practices. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Contribution of non-agricultural pesticides to pesticide load in surface water,PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 6 2004Christian Skark Abstract Two small creeks, tributaries of the River Ruhr near Schwerte, Federal Republic of Germany, were investigated to reveal the regional agricultural and non-agricultural sources of pesticide inputs and the main pathways to surface water. In addition, the receiving water was monitored for pesticides. The watersheds are situated at the northern margin of the Rhenian Schiefergebirge, a highland landscape in North-Rhine,Westphalia. Solid carboniferous shale is covered by a shallow layer of quaternary unconsolidated rock (porous aquifer thickness <5 m). Occurrence of herbicides such as chlortoluron, isoproturon and terbuthylazine in surface water could be due to their broad agricultural application in regional dominant crops, such as barley, wheat and maize. Occurrence of diuron and glyphosate results from their use in residential settlements and industrial areas as well as from weed control on railway tracks. Atrazine concentrations up to 0.8 µg litre,1 indicated recent use of this herbicide, which has been banned since 1991, and was also the result of non-agricultural applications. Pathways for pesticide input to the receiving waters were related to both surface run-off and underground passage. Two-thirds of the observed diuron load in the surface water resulted from an input by run-off. This was expected as a result of total herbicide application targets to sealed surfaces infringing current regulations and recommendations. Diuron load varied between 0.6 and 1.2% of the estimated amount applied annually in the investigated catchments. Non-agricultural pesticide use contributed more than two-thirds of the whole observed pesticide load in the tributaries and at least one-third in the River Ruhr. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Pesticide residues in food,acute dietary exposure,PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 4 2004Denis Hamilton Abstract Consumer risk assessment is a crucial step in the regulatory approval of pesticide use on food crops. Recently, an additional hurdle has been added to the formal consumer risk assessment process with the introduction of short-term intake or exposure assessment and a comparable short-term toxicity reference, the acute reference dose. Exposure to residues during one meal or over one day is important for short-term or acute intake. Exposure in the short term can be substantially higher than average because the consumption of a food on a single occasion can be very large compared with typical long-term or mean consumption and the food may have a much larger residue than average. Furthermore, the residue level in a single unit of a fruit or vegetable may be higher by a factor (defined as the variability factor, which we have shown to be typically ×3 for the 97.5th percentile unit) than the average residue in the lot. Available marketplace data and supervised residue trial data are examined in an investigation of the variability of residues in units of fruit and vegetables. A method is described for estimating the 97.5th percentile value from sets of unit residue data. Variability appears to be generally independent of the pesticide, the crop, crop unit size and the residue level. The deposition of pesticide on the individual unit during application is probably the most significant factor. The diets used in the calculations ideally come from individual and household surveys with enough consumers of each specific food to determine large portion sizes. The diets should distinguish the different forms of a food consumed, eg canned, frozen or fresh, because the residue levels associated with the different forms may be quite different. Dietary intakes may be calculated by a deterministic method or a probabilistic method. In the deterministic method the intake is estimated with the assumptions of large portion consumption of a ,high residue' food (high residue in the sense that the pesticide was used at the highest recommended label rate, the crop was harvested at the smallest interval after treatment and the residue in the edible portion was the highest found in any of the supervised trials in line with these use conditions). The deterministic calculation also includes a variability factor for those foods consumed as units (eg apples, carrots) to allow for the elevated residue in some single units which may not be seen in composited samples. In the probabilistic method the distribution of dietary consumption and the distribution of possible residues are combined in repeated probabilistic calculations to yield a distribution of possible residue intakes. Additional information such as percentage commodity treated and combination of residues from multiple commodities may be incorporated into probabilistic calculations. The IUPAC Advisory Committee on Crop Protection Chemistry has made 11 recommendations relating to acute dietary exposure. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Long-term impacts of an organophosphate-based regime of pesticides on field and field-edge Collembola communitiesPEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE (FORMERLY: PESTICIDE SCIENCE), Issue 10 2002Geoff K Frampton Abstract During a 6-year study, effects of two contrasting regimes of pesticide use on pitfall and suction catches of Collembola were monitored in an arable field under a rotation of grass and winter wheat. Current farm practice (CFP) represented conventional fungicide and herbicide use plus applications of organophosphorus (OP) insecticides, whereas reduced input approach (RIA) utilised minimum inputs of fungicides and herbicides and excluded any use of insecticides. Compared with RIA, the CFP regime caused a substantial decline in the abundance and diversity of Collembola in the field, including the local disappearance of one species, without recovery during the study. At the field edge, which was protected during OP applications by a 6-m unsprayed buffer zone, effects of the CFP regime were less severe, and were not persistent in the long term. Some Collembola species occurred only in field-edge samples. Pitfall and suction sampling yielded remarkably similar patterns of catches, indicating that pitfall trapping may be appropriate for detecting long-term changes in collembolan abundance caused by intensive agricultural management practices. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Effects of self-reported health conditions and pesticide exposures on probability of follow-up in a prospective cohort studyAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2010Martha P. Montgomery MHS Abstract Background We investigated the potential for selection bias due to non-participation in the follow-up of a large prospective cohort study. Methods Licensed pesticide applicators (52,395 private; 4,916 commercial) in the Agricultural Health Study provided demographic, health, and pesticide exposure information at enrollment (1993,1997) and in a 5-year follow-up telephone interview. Factors associated with non-participation in the follow-up were identified using multiple logistic regression. Potential for selection bias was evaluated by comparing exposure,disease associations between the entire cohort and the follow-up subset. Results Sixty-six percent of private and 60% of commercial applicators completed the follow-up interview. Private and commercial applicators who did not complete the follow-up reported at enrollment younger age, less education, lower body mass index, poorer health behaviors but fewer health conditions, and lower pesticide use. Estimates of exposure,disease associations calculated with and without non-participants did not indicate strong selection bias. Conclusions Differences between non-participants and participants in the follow-up interview were generally small, and we did not find significant evidence of selection bias. However, the extent of bias may depend on the specific exposure and outcome under study. Am. J. Ind. Med. 53:486,496, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Acute occupational pesticide-related illness in the US, 1998,1999: Surveillance findings from the SENSOR-pesticides program,,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2004Geoffrey M. Calvert MD Abstract Background Concern about the adverse public health and environmental effects of pesticide use is persistent. Recognizing the importance of surveillance for acute occupational pesticide-related illness, we report on surveillance for this condition across multiple states. Methods Survey data collected between 1998 and 1999 were obtained from the seven states that conduct acute occupational pesticide-related illness surveillance as part of the Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks (SENSOR) program. Data were collected by these state programs in a standardized manner and analyzed. Acute occupational pesticide-related illness incidence rates for those employed in agriculture and those employed in non-agricultural industries were also calculated. Results Between 1998 and 1999, a total of 1,009 individuals with acute occupational pesticide-related illness were identified by states participating in the SENSOR-pesticides program. The mean age was 36 years, and incidence rates peaked among 20,24 year-old workers. The overall incidence rate was 1.17 per 100,000 full time equivalents (FTEs). The incidence rate among those employed in agriculture was higher (18.2/100,000 FTEs) compared to those employed in non-agricultural industries (0.53/100,000 FTEs). Most of the illnesses were of low severity (69.7%). Severity was moderate in 29.6% of the cases, and high in four cases (0.4%). Three fatalities were identified. Insecticides were responsible for 49% of all illnesses. Conclusions Surveillance is an important tool to assess acute pesticide-related illness, and to identify associated risk factors. Our findings suggest that these illnesses continue to be an important occupational health problem, especially in agriculture. As such, greater efforts are needed to prevent acute occupational pesticide-related illness. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:14,23, 2004. Published 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Professional exposure to pesticides and Parkinson disease,ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 4 2009Alexis Elbaz MD Objective We studied the relation between Parkinson disease (PD) and professional exposure to pesticides in a community-based case-control study conducted in a population characterized by a high prevalence of exposure. Our objective was to investigate the role of specific pesticide families and to perform dose-effect analyses. Methods PD cases (n = 224) from the Mutualité Sociale Agricole (France) were matched to 557 controls free of PD affiliated with the same health insurance. Pesticide exposure was assessed using a 2-phase procedure, including a case-by-case expert evaluation. Analyses of the relation between PD and professional exposure to pesticides were first performed overall and by broad category (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides). Analyses of 29 pesticide families defined based on a chemical classification were restricted to men. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing values of pesticide families. Data were analyzed using conditional logistic regression, both using a complete-case and an imputed dataset. Results We found a positive association between PD and overall professional pesticide use (odds ratio [OR] = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1,3.1), with a dose-effect relation for the number of years of use (p = 0.01). In men, insecticides were associated with PD (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1,4.3), in particular organochlorine insecticides (OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2,5.0). These associations were stronger in men with older onset PD than in those with younger onset PD, and were characterized by a dose-effect relation in the former group. Interpretation Our results support an association between PD and professional pesticide exposure, and show that some pesticides (ie, organochlorine insecticides) may be more particularly involved. Ann Neurol 2009;66:494,504 [source] The future of IPM: whither or wither?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Myron P Zalucki Abstract The acronym IPM (integrated pest management) has been around for over 50 years and now not only supposedly guides research and extension in pest management but also markets pesticides, is claimed to be undertaken by many growers, and even resonates with public perceptions and politicians. Whether or not IPM programs are sustainable in the longer term under the conflicting stresses and strains of the modern agricultural environment is debatable. We analyse three case studies of IPM development in Australia: citrus IPM in central Queensland, Brassica IPM in southeast Queensland and Helicoverpa management in cotton in eastern Australia. Many management practices for these pests have changed over time. In the more stable citrus system classical biological control along with changed practices (reduced pesticide use) have effectively controlled imported scale insect pests. In Brassicas and cotton, IPM is predominantly of the sample and spray variety where, increasingly, less broad-spectrum insecticides are used and, in cotton, Helicoverpa management includes the deployment of transgenic plants. We question whether or not IPM principles are always consistent with market forces and whether or not the approach is universally applicable for all pest insects when implemented at the small (field or farm) scale. Farmers will adopt cost-effective approaches that minimise their financial risks. For Australia as a whole over the last 30 years insecticide input costs per hectare have increased faster than the price index, reflecting more costly insecticides, changes to the combinations of crops grown and an increase in the overall area of crops cultivated together with possible concomitant changes in pest abundance. Any pest crisis will ensure rapid changes in practice and adoption of technologies, in order to mitigate the short-term financial stresses caused. However, regression to former practices tends to follow (e.g. in Brassica crops). In most cases, we cannot objectively test if changed management practices are responsible for changes in pest abundance, as is often claimed, or if the latter is simply a consequence of the weather and/or related large-scale landscape features (e.g. area of host plants). We argue that for many systems the future of pest management practice will require a change to landscape or area-wide approaches. We suspect, given how entrenched the acronym has become, whatever the nature of the approach it will be called IPM. [source] | ||||||||||||||||